Sign



Feb. 19, 1952 J. B. BENGE SIGN Filed March 21, 1950 |||||l|Hf J M??BYOS? Patented Feb. 19, 1952 UNITED STATES TENT ()FFICE 3 Claims. 1

The invention relates to signs such as are used for advertising or othersimilar purposes.

In signs of this character, one which carries an illustration of a humanbeing draws the attention of the passing public to a high degree. Thisis particularly true where the face of the human being is clearlyillustrated so that the'eyes appear to be looking directly at thepersons viewing the sign. In the case of a sign where such illustrationis on a plane surface, such appearance is normally obtained to anysubstantial extent only when the person viewing the illustration standsin a certain position relative to the illustration, namely, squarely infront of the Sign.

The general object of the invention is, therefore, to provide a novelsign carrying an illustration of a face in which the eyes appear to amarked degree to follow a person viewing it as he moves along in frontof the sign in a direction generally parallel thereto.

Another object is to provide a sign of the foregoing character, in whichsuch phenomenon is attained by simple structural means which can beeasily attached to the sign and does not add materially to the costthereof.

A further object is to provide a sign of the foregoing character, whichis capable of use either indoors or outdoors, and which does not requireany especial illumination other than what is ordinarily provided, and infact requires v no artificial illumination when placed where daylight issufficient for the display of an ordinary sign.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a sign embodying the features ofthe invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a part of the sign showing the portionincluding the eyes of the face illustrated on the sign, the sign beingviewed directly from the front thereof.

Fig. 3 is a view of the same portion of the sign illustrated in Fig. 2,but showing its appearance when viewed from a position to the left ofthe position directly in front of the face.

Fig. 4 is another view of the same portion of the sign as shown in Figs.2 and 3, but illustrating it as it appears when viewed from a positionto the right of the position directly in front of the sign.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal-section taken substantially on the line 55 ofFig. 2.

In the drawings, I have shown in Fig. l a sign 2 I0 having a plane frontsurface on which a face, indicated generally at H, is illustrated. The

plane surface of the sign may also carry any desired printed matter orother illustration. As shown in the drawing, the sign is carried in aframe mounted on a base, but such mounting. of course, is not essentialto the invention and any form of mounting and support for the sign maybe employed.

The face I I is shown as facing directly forward from the plane surfaceof the sign, although, if desired, it may be illustrated as turnedslightly toward one side or t e other, provided the eyes of the faceappear to be looking straight forward. The dark'parts of the eyes, whichinclude the pupils, are indicated at l2 and are preferably sharplycontrasted in color with the surrounding whites of the eyes to give thedark parts an intensity attracting the attention of passers-by.

The means for simulating the frames of a pair of glasses are hereillustrated as having a rather substantial construction characteristicof shellrimmed glasses commonly worn by many people and preferably of adark color providing a contrast in shade or color with the illustrationof the face back of the frame simulating nfeans. Thus, the framesimulating means comprises lens portions [3, a connecting bridge portion14 and side bow portions l5. It is understood, of course, that each lensportion l3 has no actual lens therein but is merely provided with anaperture ofcustomary size through which the eyes of the face H may beviewed. The frame means is adapted to be positioned relative to the faceIf so that it appears to occupy a normal relation thereto, with thebridge portion l4 appearing to fit over the nose of the face and theside bows l5 appearing to extend over the ears of the face. Since-theface is illustrated on the plane surface of the sign and the lensportions l3 are spaced forwardly therefrom, the side bows [5 provideconvenient means for securing and holding the frame means in place.Thus, the side bows l5, as illustrated in Fig. 5, are relatively shortand need only project rearwardly from the lens portions l3 a distanceequal to the spacing of the latter from the face. In the presentinstance, the side bows l5 are shown as extending through small slots l6provided in the sign l0 and are bent over at the back surface of thesign, as indicated at H, to secure the frame simulating means in place.Riveting of the bent portions I! or any other suitable means may beemployed, as desired, to secure these portions to the sign, and

the rear ends of the side bows l5 could, of course, be secured to thefront surface of the sign rather than to the rear surface, and thuseliminate the necessity for the slots I6.

When the sign is viewed directly from the front thereof, as illustratedin Fig. 2, the dark parts l2 of the eyes will appear substantiallycentered within the lens portions 13. However, when viewed from aposition to the left of the straight forward position, as illustrated inFig. 3, the dark parts i 2 of the eyes will be seen through the leftside of the opening in the lens portions 13 because of the forwardspacing of the lens portions from the plane of the sign on which theeyes are illustrated. Similarly, when viewed by a person standing to theright of the straight forward position, as illustrated in Fig. 4, thedark parts l2 of the eyes will be seen through the right-hand portion ofthe opening in the lens portions I3.

With this arrangement, the dark part of the eyes will seem to follow aperson as he walks past the sign, viewing it. Thus, assume that heapproaches the sign from the right, he will see the dark parts of theeyes in the position shown in Fig. 4 and as he moves to a positiondirectly in front of the sign, he will see the eyes in the positionshown in Fig. 2, and as he continues his movement onward, he willthereafter see the eyes in the position shown in Fig. 3. The apparentmovement of the dark parts of the eyes relative to the lens portions iswill give the appearance of the eyes following the person as he passesby. This effect obviously enhances the ability of the sign to gainattention and thus increases its value as a sign. The structure of thesign is relatively simple, since no complicated punching or slotting ofthe sign is required. Only the small slots l6 which receive the rearends of the side bow portions I5 are needed, and such slots it do nothave to be accurately located, particularly with respect to theillustration of the face on the sign. Thus, if the illustration of theface is printed, there is no great care needed in obtaining properregister of such illustration with the slots "5. The frame simulatingmeans, depending upon the size and character of the sign and itslocation, may be of varying materials, such as cardboard or sheet metal,colored as desired. The eyes of the face, and particularly the darkparts thereof, being on the same surface on which the rest of the faceis illustrated, are illuminated equally with the entire face, so that nospecial lighting is required to have the dark parts of the eyes clearlyvisible through the frames. The sign thus readily gains the attention ofpassers-by with means which may be applied thereto at relatively smallcost.

I claim:

1. A sign of the character described comprising a plane surface havingthereon an illustra- 7 tion of a face with the dark parts of the eyes onsaid surface, and means simulating the frames only of a pair ofeyeglasses mounted on said surface to avoid shading the eyes of theillustrated face and having lens-simulating portions spaced forwardlyfrom said surface in substantially normal relation to the eyes of theillustrated face, the dark parts of the eyes being substantially infixed central relation to said lens simulating portions whereby the darkparts of the eyes appear to follow a person viewing them through saidportions and moving parallel to the sign.

2. A sign of the character described comprising a surface having thereonan illustration of a face with the dark parts of the eyes on saidsurface, and means simulating the frames only of a pair of eyeglasses toavoid shading the eyes of the illustrated face and having the side bowportions secured to said surface and holding the lens-simulatingportions spaced forwardly from said surface in substantially normalrelation to the eyes of the illustrated face, said surface and the darkparts of the eyes thereon being in fixed predetermined relation to saidlens simulating portions whereby the dark parts of the eyes appear tofollow a person viewing them through the lens-simulating portions as hemoves past the sign.

3. A sign of the character described comprising a surface having thereonan illustration of a face with the dark parts of the eyes on saidsurface, and a frame structure simulating a, pair of eyeglasses andcomprising lens-simulating portions contrasting in color with saidillustration and side bow portions supporting said lenssimulatingportions, said surface being in fixed relation to said frame structurewith said side bow portions being secured to said surface and having alength perpendicular to said surface substantially equal to the normalspacing between a pair of eyeglasses and the eyes with the dark parts ofthe eyes in fixed predetermined relation to said lens simulatingportions, whereby said lens-simulating portions appear to be positionedin normal relation to the eyes of the illustrated face and avoid shadingthe dark parts thereof.

JOSEPH B. BENGE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 360,900 OBrien Apr. 12, 1887616,022 Schild Dec. 13, 1898 1,138,737 Dunham May 11, 1915 1,427,428Ames Aug. 29, 1922 2,399,121 Janson Apr. 23, 1946

